[plantman77]

I've tried a few times to test drive an M2 and always seem to get told the dealer doesn't allow test drives on M cars. Which I get most people don't want miles on these cars when buying. Most recently I tried on a used 2023 with miles on it and the dealer still said no.

I'm between this an a 718. I've had no issues driving a few 718s at Porsche dealers. Unfortunately there are no G87 M2s in my area on Turo. Does anyone have any tips on how I could convince a dealer to let me drive one or is this a longshot?

[justinnum1]

you can rent a m2 on turo for less than 200 a day

[Viffermike]

Where are you located, OP? If you're in a metro area with at least 2-3 dealers, it should be possible; you just need to find one that will allow it. That said:

- Any inventory of M2s is low right now, likely nationwide, because M2 production appears to have been placed on hold for roughly a month until about a week ago. In the meantime, any stock has likely been sold (that's been the case in my area: North Texas)
- Because inventory is low, many dealers are likely far more 'protective' of any stock that remains regarding test drives.
- As a former 718 owner (had a 2018 for 5-plus years), I can say this definitively: Porsche is, in general, far more lienient about allowing test drives than BMW.

I now drive a MINI JCW. More than a month ago, I was able to test drive an M2 for nearly an hour at a dealership that, at the time, had six in stock. My timing was good — two and a half weeks later, all but one were sold. I do suspect a big part of your issue is the current lack of availability; M2s are not stocked more than 1 or 2 deep by any but the largest dealers.

[M271]

Interesting experience.
When I test driver car, approx one month ago, the dealer gave me the keys and told me to and enjoy myself. Admittedly I’d just signed a £1000 excess test drive waiver, but that was fine with me. Took the car out for 40 mins or so, different road surfaces, speeds etc. I had a ball!
Possibly a UK thing?

[eluded]

Find a dealer with a used one.

[Ronin76]

I am in the same boat (kind of). I have never test driven an M2 either. None of the dealers had one to drive other that ones that have already been purchased. An independent dealer had one but they wanted to run my credit first and I said “no thanks”.

Closest I got was being able to test drive an M3 (never drove an M car before) through the dealer I am getting the M2 from.

[ednir98]

Originally Posted by justinnum1

you can rent a m2 on turo for less than 200 a day

OP tried that:

Originally Posted by plantman77

Unfortunately there are no G87 M2s in my area on Turo.

Originally Posted by eluded

Find a dealer with a used one.

They said they tried that too.

Given that you tried used and rentals with no luck, you could try making a local friend on here who owns one. You could also test drive an m240 or 230 to get an idea of the form factor and drive an M3/4 to get a feel for the drivetrain. Not ideal but hey.

[M_Power Rob]

Originally Posted by ednir98

OP tried that:



They said they tried that too.

Given that you tried used and rentals with no luck, you could try making a local friend on here who owns one. You could also test drive an m240 or 230 to get an idea of the form factor and drive an M3/4 to get a feel for the drivetrain. Not ideal but hey.

I have a MY23 G42 M240 and a MY23 G87 M2, test driving the M240 will provide nothing compared to the M2.

[AdonisP91]

Originally Posted by M271

Interesting experience.
When I test driver car, approx one month ago, the dealer gave me the keys and told me to and enjoy myself. Admittedly I’d just signed a £1000 excess test drive waiver, but that was fine with me. Took the car out for 40 mins or so, different road surfaces, speeds etc. I had a ball!
Possibly a UK thing?

It’s a dealer thing. Here in Toronto Canada one Porsche dealer gave me the keys to the 911 GTS and a Macan Turbo and told me to have fun. Same with one BMW dealer when I test drove a M240.

Yet at a different BMW dealer, when I wanted to test drive a M440 GC, they had me sign a waiver and the salesman told me if I went over the speed limit he would end my test drive and take over. I told him don’t bother, I’m not buying a car I can’t properly test drive. He wasn’t too happy, but I was already annoyed as a I felt they wasted my time.

[ednir98]

Originally Posted by M_Power Rob

I have a MY23 G42 M240 and a MY23 G87 M2, test driving the M240 will provide nothing compared to the M2.

I've driven a 240 and own a 25 G87, the form factor is 98% the same. Form factor and performance/handling are not the same, which is why I said drive an m3/4 to get an idea of performance. Either keep trying to test drive or just order blind like I did. Not sure anyone would drive an M2 and hate it (except for Throttle House).

[M_Power Rob]

Y

Originally Posted by ednir98

I've driven a 240 and own a 25 G87, the form factor is 98% the same. Form factor and performance/handling are not the same, which is why I said drive an m3/4 to get an idea of performance. Either keep trying to test drive or just order blind like I did. Not sure anyone would drive an M2 and hates it (except for Throttle House).

You have driven but I OWN the M240.

TBH...what the hell is form factor? The seats aren't even the same, nor is the footprint/stance (from a width factor).

[ednir98]

Originally Posted by M_Power Rob

TBH...what the hell is form factor? The seats aren't even the same, nor is the footprint/stance (from a width factor).

Are you intentionally being dense? Who the hell is going to notice and extra 40mm of width or whatever it is. It's just a test drive, you will never get a true feel for the car in 10-15 minutes. I'm not saying a G87 is the same thing as a 230, you know exactly what I'm saying so stop being difficult lol.

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by ednir98

They said they tried that too.

Given that you tried used and rentals with no luck, you could try making a local friend on here who owns one. You could also test drive an m240 or 230 to get an idea of the form factor and drive an M3/4 to get a feel for the drivetrain. Not ideal but hey.

This is what I did. I should have also asked to test drive the M240 just to get an idea for the size of the car and the interior. The M3 was nice, had great amount of punch, but I could tell it was a big car. Knowing the M2 has good power and is smaller just makes the wait even harder. Just hard, around me, to find one to drive.

[M_Power Rob]

Originally Posted by ednir98

Are you intentionally being dense? Who the hell is going to notice and extra 40mm of width or whatever it is. It's just a test drive, you will never get a true feel for the car in 10-15 minutes. I'm not saying a G87 is the same thing as a 230, you know exactly what I'm saying so stop being difficult lol.

You are the one being dense. Yes, they are all 2 series but if you can say, with a straight, serious honest face, ro drive a 230 to get a feel for the M2, that basically says it all and there is nothing more to say.

[ednir98]

Originally Posted by M_Power Rob

You are the one being dense. Yes, they are all 2 series but if you can say, with a straight, serious honest face, ro drive a 230 to get a feel for the M2, that basically says it all and there is nothing more to say.

You have to be joking... At no point did I say a 230 and M2 are the same. This is my last reply to this.

[Ronin76]

Originally Posted by M_Power Rob

You are the one being dense. Yes, they are all 2 series but if you can say, with a straight, serious honest face, ro drive a 230 to get a feel for the M2, that basically says it all and there is nothing more to say.

Rob, I think it was obvious he was talking about the size.

[ourlee]

Originally Posted by plantman77

I've tried a few times to test drive an M2 and always seem to get told the dealer doesn't allow test drives on M cars. Which I get most people don't want miles on these cars when buying. Most recently I tried on a used 2023 with miles on it and the dealer still said no.

I'm between this an a 718. I've had no issues driving a few 718s at Porsche dealers. Unfortunately there are no G87 M2s in my area on Turo. Does anyone have any tips on how I could convince a dealer to let me drive one or is this a longshot?

Which 718 interests you?

[RockCrusher]

Originally Posted by AdonisP91

It’s a dealer thing. Here in Toronto Canada one Porsche dealer gave me the keys to the 911 GTS and a Macan Turbo and told me to have fun. Same with one BMW dealer when I test drove a M240.

Yet at a different BMW dealer, when I wanted to test drive a M440 GC, they had me sign a waiver and the salesman told me if I went over the speed limit he would end my test drive and take over. I told him don’t bother, I’m not buying a car I can’t properly test drive. He wasn’t too happy, but I was already annoyed as a I felt they wasted my time.

If you feel a proper test drive requires breaking the speed limit (and probably a number of other traffic laws) you are the reason dealers are very reluctant to allow test drives of at least the M cars.

Have bought a number of new cars over the years from a 90hp VW Golf TDi to a 707hp Hellcat (and back in April 2023 an M2 (453hp) and just last month a M8 Comp Coupe (617hp)) with just enough of a test ride then a brief test drive to verify the steering was good and no brake pulling/pulsing was present.

In fact I didn't even get to "test" drive the M2 until after I had signed the purchase order and then the drive consisted of about a mile from the dealer to a local gas station where the salesman filled up the gas tank then a return drive back to the dealer. The stretch of road from the dealer to the main road was in such terrible shape an M1 Abrams would have been a more appropriate vehicle...

But every car I bought after I bought it lived up to even exceeded my expectations that I had acquired from my research of the car.

This includes the M2. On the 200 mile drive home from the dealer I could feel the beast within. Then after break in when I felt reasonably comfortable exploring the car's performance what a car. Expectations exceeded.

[M_Power Rob]

Originally Posted by Ronin76

Rob, I think it was obvious he was talking about the size.

Then say size, not form factor. As for size, the 240 and M2 do not feel the same (haven't driven an 230 so can't speak for that but many factors affect size so I truly don't agree (under the statement that its a 2 series so they are all the same)...

I owned the M240 for a year before getting my M2...to me it felt like two totally different cars (and still does).

To each their own.

[IanH]

Originally Posted by M_Power Rob

Then say size, not form factor. As for size, the 240 and M2 do not feel the same (haven't driven an 230 so can't speak for that but many factors affect size so I truly don't agree (under the statement that its a 2 series so they are all the same)...

I owned the M240 for a year before getting my M2...to me it felt like two totally different cars (and still does).

To each their own.

Aren't like most of the differences on the M2 in the engine? It's 1in total wider... has summer tires always? maybe slight suspesion tuning differences due to the width

Did your M240 have run flats?

Not trying to play the M240 = M2 game, more like I just dont see how they could be all that different outside of power.

[Mr. Hankey]

Originally Posted by plantman77

I've tried a few times to test drive an M2 and always seem to get told the dealer doesn't allow test drives on M cars. Which I get most people don't want miles on these cars when buying. Most recently I tried on a used 2023 with miles on it and the dealer still said no.

I'm between this an a 718. I've had no issues driving a few 718s at Porsche dealers. Unfortunately there are no G87 M2s in my area on Turo. Does anyone have any tips on how I could convince a dealer to let me drive one or is this a longshot?

This thread got way off track. Like others mentioned I'd look for a used car on a lot they would let you test drive, this is the time of year new ones on lots will be hard to come by. My local dealer had a used one that I test drove last November on a rainy night that was 33 degrees on the summer Pirellis. All that to say I didn't push it but it confirmed for me that it was very similar to my F80 M3 I sold 2 years earlier, steering, brake, clutch feel was all good. I didn't need a ton of seat time to confirm that it was fine (turns out its dynamics are better than said F80, quite pleased).

If you haven't really spent much time in cars like these then honestly pony up the money and go do the 1 day M school in SC, you'll drive the M2, M3/4, and M5 or 8....plus you'll really get a good idea of the dynamics of the car. The spend is worth it with the performance center. Or just do seat time in the M2 as "personal instruction time"...

At the same time I had the M2 ordered, I had a deposit on an RS3 that I couldn't test drive anywhere, let alone even see 1...and having not driven an Audi regularly I was a bit hesitant to just jump into one of those not even being able to see one, so I get it. The 2 year waiting period quoted to get an RS3 was enough for me to easily forget about it. M2 all day.

[Carefree]

I own both M240i and M2.

Size, engine, run flats notwithstanding, they are 2 completely different cars.